The Sun. — London, England, 1838-08-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS The writers of the Ministerial Press have for some time past been engaged in a rancorous and vindictive attempt to run down Lord Brougham. The renegade "Liberals," the quondam colleagues of that eccentric and highly-gifted performer, because they have aban doned the principles in virtue of which they entered the Cabinet, would fain persuade the public that Loid Brougham has abandoned them ; and that he is actu ated in his unsparing exposure of their tergiversation and apostacy by motives originating in personal disap pointment and paltry pique . Lord Brougham is a Radical, and, moreover, the very King of the Radi cats ; and it is, therefore, not impossible that his hyper " Liberal" Lordship may occasionally he impelled by the petty malevolence, " the envy, hatred, malice, and all u ncharitableness," on which the philosophy of Liberalism is founded. But the assumption that he is actuated by such poor and petty spite in his brilliant and effective onslaughts on his old accomplices is altogether gratuitous and inadmissible ; because his conduct may be ex plained on grounds at once obvious and unanswer able—the shameless inconsistency of his former con federates and present victims. With this satisfactory solution of the phenomenon before us, it would be unphilosophical, as well as uncharitable, arbitrarily and unnecessarily to adopt another, for the mere purpose of blackening the reputation and blunting the weapons of apolitical adversary. Lord Brougham is assuredly no favourite of ours ; but, did he possess but a tithe of the intellect, the energy, the eloquence, and the intrepidity, of which he has given some salutary and many mischievous proofs, we should still think him degraded by a comparison with the brightest and boldest of his Right Honour able and Honourable Cabinet opponents. Were the aforesaid respectable individuals to club all the talent and all the honesty of which their Ca binet or their faction can boast, the aggregate of their contributions would be but dust in the ba lance when weighed against those of their calum niated friend and corrector. An uncomfortable consciousness of this mortifying fact may be one motive, among many, for the systematic hostility to the Ministerial tormentor exhibited in the columns of the Chronicle. Our quasi official Contemporary, in his Number of yesterday, emitted an ar ticle involvin g at once a most spiteful attack on Lord Brougham, and a most " lame and impotent" defence of Lord Durham. This piece of dirty work, at once offensive and defensive, must have sorely taxed the logic and the modesty of the Downing-street Gazette. If the paper had any,. the very faintest, sense of shame, it must have blushed a beet-root red when it became the innocent instrument of giving publicity to the article alluded to. In reference to the dictator-like doings of Lord Durham, and his domestic " helps" in Canada, and to Lord Brougham's indignant animadversions thereon in the House of Lords, it is authoritatively stated, that— " As the Hon. and Learned Lord, however, in the view which he took of the Ordinances suppressed some facts and mistatcd others, we will endeavour to supply the necessary corrections. Lord Brougham said, that if the banished rebels who returned to the province of Lower Canada without permission were executed without trial, Lord Durham would commit ' a capital felony—he would be guilty of murder.' Now the ordinance does not say that the rebels who return without permission from banishment will be banged without trial. What it says is, that the return will be evidence against them ; that they shall be deemed and taken of high treason, and shall, on conviction of being found at large, or coming within the said province without such permission as aforesaid, suffer death accordingly. The supposition that those who return from punishment without permission, will be hanged without a trial, is a fancy of Lord Brougham's ; it is not an ordinance of Lord Durham's." Since our long departed academic days, when the construction of syllogisms and the splitting of hairs were the order of the day, we have never encountered so edifying an illustration of a distinction without a dif ference as this. It may do honour to our Contempo rary's ingenuity in the estimation of his official em ployers and patrons ; but he can hardly suppose that so transparent a fallacy will impose on any man not pre determined to be convinced. In reference to the legality of Lord Durham's ordinance, or to the substantial cor rectness of Lord Brougham's assertion, the point made by the Chronicle proves precisely nothing, neither more nor less. Lord Brougham maintained thatLordDurham would be guilty of murder in hanging a returned rebel. without trial. And how does the Chronicle impugn the correctness of this assertion ? By quoting the lan guage of the ordinance itself, to prove that the returned rebel, on being found at large within the said pro vince, and on conviction of the same, is to be deemed guilty of high treason, and to be hanged accordingly. Thus the corpus delicti—the high treason, is to be taken for g ranted or disregarded, and the patient is to be hanged on conviction of being found at large in the said province without permission. But how does this invalidate the inference of Lord Brougham— how justify the ordinance of Lord Durham—or bear out the apologetic conclusion of the Chronicle ? The returned rebel is hanged on proof of having disobeyed the behests of the Dictator for returning without permis sion. Is this less " a murder" than hanging tire same individual for high treason would have been? But, cries the Chronicle, the patient is tried before he is hanged. Tried I—and for what ? Why, forsooth, for having offended the majesty of Dictator Durham by returning without permission. If that amiable and " liberal" p rsona g e should, in the plenitude of his Whig-lta dicalism, think fit to disregard what the Chronicle calls the "fanny," and what we call the sound law, of Lord Brougham, and indulge in a murder after the fashion aforesaid, in his own ordinance announced, and in the columns of the Chronicle defended—all we shall say is, that we should strenuously recommend him to make his residence, if not his dictatorship, in Canada perpetual, inasmuch as his return to England after such an exploit would insure him the death of a felon. Whether the Chronicle would share his well-earned elevation is a point for the learned in the law to de cide. if Lord Durham's Radical sympathies with the traitor friends and correspondents of Mr. Joseph Hume, 1\ lember of the " Tail" and for Kilkenny, had not determined him to spare their forfeit lives, by way of preserving the breed, his course was plain —military law was the °Mer of the day—the rlng leaders of the rebellion, Nelson and the rest nho were in custody, should have been tried by a Court-Martial and hanged incontinently. But that would have been " a heavy blow and a great discouragement" to rebels and to—Radicals. We take na credit to our selves for having predicted, months ago, ti,at the ap- pointment of Lord Durham would ensure the im punity of the Canadian rebels. The condign punish ment which these practical Radicals had incurred might have been legally inflicted. The majesty of the Crown, and the authority of the law, might have been vindicated ; and the murderous and incendiary march of Radicalism, i. e. treason, have been effectually checked. But it squared better with the inclination and the interests of a Whig- Radical Dictator to do violence to the law, and spare the traitors.—Morning Post. The misappropriation by the London Committee of a large portion of the funds collected last year for the relief of the suffering Highlanders of Scotland, begins to excite a deep and general interest in the public mind ; and no wonder, for a more flagrant breach of confidence with the benevolent individuals who sub scribed their money to save from actual death, through want, the wretched inhab itants of the Highlands andt' Islands of the northern part of the kingdom, was never committed. An appeal is made to the benevolenc e of the British public—the sufferings arising from the utter destitution of the parties on whose behalf the appeal is made are depicted in.the most forcible terms, and proclaimed aloud through the width and breadth of the land ; deputations come to the m etropolis to plead in person the cause of the famishing myriads, and to stir up those who have hearts to feel for the sufferings of their fellow -creatures, to stretch out their hand to rescue them from the horrors of dying of want ; and with what success are all these efforts made in one of the most urgent cases of humanity which were ever , brought before a` British public ? With a measure of success worthy of the character for humanity and benevolence which this country has so long en joyed, and which is its highest glory. Not only (lid the hearts of Englishmen bleed while their ears THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, AITGUST 2, 1838. peated their set speeches at Manchester, Leeds, Hud dersfield, and Salford, threatened to bring on a trial of strength between the liberal and illiberal parties before the Coronation, and returned to London only to be laughed at for their folly, pitied for their impotence, and despised for their want of principle. Since that date her Majesty's Ministers have pursued their steady course of national amelioration vt ith less interruption. The Tories became convinced that they could du nothing in the way of direct resistance, and their efforts, instead of being open, were insidious. The solid foundation on which the \Vhig Government rested their claim to the approbation of the great mass of the inhabitants of the three kingdoms was that they were resolved to do all the good in their power : if they could not carry out their own ideas of excellence in their measures to the full extent, they were deter mined to omit no opportunity of accomplishing a partial benefit, and the country gives them credit for the up rightness of their motives and for the sincerity of their intentions. Upon this ground they stand, and they stand firmly, defying the whole strength of their op ponents to remove them from it. If they cannot do all they wish, they will do all they can : their mea sures shall proceed in the right direction, even if they do not go the whole distance originally contemplated ; and if in any instance their purpose be defeated for a time, they will not therefore abandon their design, and they will leave others to be responsible for the conse quences of postponement. Thus, then, we are justi fied in saying, that by pursuing this undeviating line of public duty the Government of Lord Melbourne, in the course of the present session, has confirmed it self in the good opinion of its friends, and has even gained ground in the "favour of its enemies.—Morn ing Chronicle. The House of Commons was " counted out" last night, as it was the night before I Attendance in their places is becoming a " bore" to Hon. Members on both sides ! In such circumstances, the value of the laws that are likely to be passed at this period of the Session, may easily be surmised ! The Parliamentary Ses-;ion of 1838 will, to the student of its history, present little else than a waste of public time ? It has given birth to not a single measure calculated to improve the condition of the people. The labouring poor are still to be left to suffer under the destructive influences of the New Poor-law. The hand-loom weavers are still destined to linger on in a state of semi-starvation. For the factory children, there is to be no relief. All the great interests of the country, in short, have been, virtually, declared by the House of Commons to be totally unworthy of its consideration I But although the factory children, and the hand-loom weavers, and the great mass of English labourers have been disowned as fit objects of legislative care, there has been the usual proportion of gabble about the wrongs of Ireland ! The wrongs of Canada, too, have been detailed with unceasing efforts at effect ; and, indeed, the affairs of Canada are like to furnish topics of reflection to the English Parliament, and to the English people, for some time to come! 'Air. Joseph Hume and his party were the original insti gators of Canadian agitation ;—and the Earl of Dur ham bids fair to complete the wholesome work which Mr. Hume and his coadjutors began. The object of the Member for Kilkenny, and of the small clique which acts in concert with him, is obvious enough These gentlemen desired to render themselves to Canada, what O'Connell had contrived to be come in relation to Ireland 1 They saw O'Con nell, by means of Irish agitation, installed as the ruler of the .English Cabinet ;—and there existed no reason in nature, why Canadian agitation should not be crowned with corresponding re sults! Nor was the calculation devoid of plausibility ! Had the Canadian traitors—the Mackenzies and Pa pineaus—been successful in their attempts, what would have been the situation of Mr. Hume, and of the other friends to Canadian "patriotism ?" Beyond all ques tion, Mr. Hume and his coadjutors might have dic tated terms to her Majesty's Ministers ! The pa c'fication of Canada would have been supposed to depend on the good offices of the "friends of Ca nada" in this country I—and Messrs. Hume, Leader, Molesworth, Roebuck and the rest of them would have turned a defeat of the Queen's troops to as good account as Mr. O'Connell do :s his tithe murders The result, however, did not answer the anticipations of our " liberals." Mackenzie and Papineau would seem, like the great Irish leader, to have " registered a vow" against fighting— and unluckily for their ends, revolutions are rarely to be effected without appeals to steel and lead ! But although the traitors could not wrest Canada from England, the policy of Lord Durham bids fair to effect a severance of the colony from the mother coun try ! The Whio dictator, with the aid of Mr. Charles Buller, and of Mr. Turton may be expected to achieve greater things for the " Liberal" cause, than Messrs. Mackenzie and Papineau, aided by the a dvice of Messrs. Roebuck and Flume, were able to effect ! To the Whig officials, the approaching prorogation of Parliament must be more delightful than ever was re spite to a condemned felon ! To be freed from the necessity of attempting to furnish explanations of Lord Durham's acts of misgovernment—and of parry ing attacks upon the character of our commer cial economy—must involve an amount of plea sure, which only a member of the Whig Go vernment can understand ! For six troaths to come, the \Vhigs hope to be able to throw aside official re sponsibility ! Russia may in the meantime, exclude our commercial marine from the Black Sea, or even from the Mediterranean—may seize Turkey, and threaten our Indian empire ;—Lord Durham may make a present of Canada to Mr. Van Buren ; —half a million of hand-loom weavers may endure a living death on an average remuneration for their labour of fourpencc a-day ;—a factory system may devour its tens of thousands of victims—whilst the horrors of the new Poor-law may be goading masses of labourers to nourish silently revolutionary plans of vengeance on their oppressors :—what will the Whigs care for these things, during time approaching recess ? Our present rulers shut their cars and eyes, as long as they may, to the indications of national sufferino . ; and when they can no longer plead blindness and'ileaf ness to the signs of the times—why, they can resign I There exists no real responsibility, now-a-flays, on the part of the Administrators of public affaiii !--Morn iii,o- Herald. 'Whether from our insular situation, which hai taught men to call us " toto divisos orbe Britannos," or from our somewhat too self-satisfied habit of look ing at all men and timings except our own as insigni ficant, or from whatever other cause or causes, the fact undoubtedly is, that we English take much less than a due interest in the character, the knowledge, the literature, the general improvement of the other members of the great European family. Learned sctsocieties,fic notices, ot indeed, ces, a utheconvey picturesque,t one another boutri 1111: nature a t by a few r % e and in the galleries of collectors, is pursued mob of travellers, who have a taste, or a curiosity, or vanity which they mistake for one ; but the great body of the English people, who stay here within the four seas, have as little notion about the general subjects that occupy the reading and thinking classes of continental society as the King of Brobdignag possessed respecting the pursuits of the countrymen of Grildrig. Now, deeming this kind of indifference rather discreditable, and believing that ignorance of the " quidquid agent " c an hardl y fail to be in some way disadvantageous, we are glad to see the stirring spirit which has been infu sed into a p eriodi cal work ,' the most likely of all others to bring us acquainted with the business amid literature of our neighbours— the " Foreign Quarterly Review." The Number for the present month (though too much of it is occupied by a couple of disquisitions on the written characters of the Chinese and of time Phoenicians, together en grossing somewhat more than a fourth of the whole pamphlet, and possessing an interest confined to a very small number of very learned and curious readers) has several articles of more general concern, which point to veins of information and amusement well worth pur suing. The most important is the opening essay on the life and writings of the celebrated German Pietist of the last century, Henry Jung Stilling. It is written, in deed, with too much ambition of a poetical prose, and is sometimes so transcendental as to puzzle the plain reader, especially as it has the defect, very common with abstruse writing s, of assuming that the elements and main bearings of the question are already familiar listened to the affecting detail of the sufferings of their fellow-subjects in the Highlands of Scotland, but they contributed their money w;th a liberality and promptitude which proved the means of saving thou sands from death. A fund of princely extent was im mediately raised, and from that fund the necessaries of life were forthwith supplied to all who stood in need of them. The amount collected exceeded the tem porary exigencies of the case. It furnished the famish ing Highlanders with food until the bounties of Pro vidence rendered unnecessary any further assistance from charity. And even, after this great and glorious triumph of humanity had been achieved, the sum of 20,0001. remained in the hands of the Committee. It has pleased Providence to visit ane,v the population of Shetland with all the horrors of famine. The pain ful fact is vouched for by the Clergymen in the dis trict, and by other eye-witnesses of undoubted vera city. And yet, with the knowledge that the original objects of the benevolence of our countrymen are as much in need of charity as ever, the London Com mittee sit down, and deliberately vote away the 20,000/., which would just be adequate to the relief of the famishing Highlanders, for the purpose of build ing an hospital, and promoting scriptural education ! Amore flagrant breach of faith with the public, a more daring disregard of the wishes and resolutions of those who placed,their money in their hands, was never, we repeat, committed by any body of individuals. How any man could have the audacity to stand up and make such a proposition to the Committee, does, indeed, surprise us ; but that the propo sition should not only be listened to, but adopted, is certainly surpassingly strange. Our wonder is, that every individual present did not resent the base proposition as a personal insult. A body of men are appointed to appropriate a certain amount of money to the relief of perishing Highlanders; in their hands is vested no discretionary power whatever, with regard to the purposes to which the money shall be applied ; and yet a man has the assurance to propose to the Committee that they shall, instead of appropriating it to the relief of its legitimate objects, erect an hospital and promote scriptural education with it ! Where was the spirit ? Where the feeling of honour ? Where, above all, was the sense of justice of the Committee, when they did not only scout this proposition, but hoot the party making it out of the room ? So far from doing either, they adopted his suggestion ; they agreed to his motion. It shall not be our fault, if they have not a practical illustration speedily afforded them of the well-known adage, " That honesty is the best policy." Their resolution to expend the money in the erection of an hospital, or in tire spread of scriptural knowledge, must be rescinded, and the money must yet go to its proper destination, and be appropriated to its proper purposes. A word or two on this point to morrow.—Morning Advertiser. A new and fierce accord, breathing enmity and in sult towards France, is manifest in almost all the Jour nals of Germany, North and South. No doubt this is in part a tribute of welcome flattery to the Czar on his visit to that country, and shows a desire on the part of Courts and Court-organs to stand well with the Impe rial visitor. The Augsburg. Gazette stands foremost in the chorus, and its articles, whether dated from Ber lin, or from Switzerland, or from Vienna, are all preg nant with insult and defiance to France. We have reason to believe that the acerbity of the German Press is not the result of its own ill humour, or of its writers' wish to flatter, but proceeds from the feelings and passions of those who have deeper influence. The august presence of the Czar has gone far to carry all hearts with him ; and though we are well aware that the true Statesmen, Metternich and Werther, backed by their Royal and Imperial masters, are prepared to put a veto upon any wild crusading schemes of the Czar, still it is clear that those feelings of mistrust and dislike to France and its new dynasty, which the ad dress and conciliatory policy of Louis Philippe had succeeded in softening down for a time, have revived with undiminished inveteracy. The King of the French is ten segecions not to acct pt the lesson, and the conclusion too obviously to be drawn from this state of things. When Belgium was to be withheld from adding fuel to the dangerous flame of religious excitement, caused by the abduction of the Prelate of Cologne, how honied were the words of Prussia. A continuance of the same language, a reciprocity of good offices, might now be expected from her. But, no : the dreams of Prussian friendship, if ever Count Mole or Louis Philippe entertained such, have vanished into air, and prove as fallacious as those dreams of an Austrian alliance which lulled and softened the pillow of a former French Minis ter. Well and good : it is far preferable that France should know by experience and facts, than by mere reasoning, where lies her true sup port. The King of Holland and his great supporters certainly deserve credit for address and management in bringing about this levee de boncliers on the part of the German powers against Belgium and France. We have learned, however, that the address of Filch has not been disdained by Dutch diplomatists, and that a notable robbery of State documents has been one of the acts employed by the Absolutists on this occasion. Morning Chronicle. As the Session is now rapidly drawing to a close, it may be worth while to inquire what the Tories have gained during the nine months' sitting of Parliament by their opposition to the measures of Ministers ? Do the Tories stand a jot better with the country, or the Whigs a jot worse ? On the contrary, have not the Whigs been constAntly gaining ground, not in the confidence of their friends only, but even of their enemies, while the Tories have lost weight and influence exactly in the proportion that it has been acquired by their political opponents ? One point we take to be quite clear—that the Tories have been unable to accomplish anything in the House of Commons. They began their career in the new Par liament with vast hopes, and for weeks before the meeting of the two Houses their organs gave out that Ministers would not be capable of resisting the earliest division, and that the first fortnight of the Session would see Sir Robert Peel again at the head of the Government. The Whigs were to be suppressed at once, and the possibility of their return to power for ever extinguished. " Threatened men are lone lived," says the proverb, and so it is with threatened Ministries. The Tories son found that they could do nothing, ; that, notwithstanding their boasted numbers, they were considerably in the minority, and they must wait until election committees had turned out a large body of Libe rals and seated as many Conservatives. Here again the unhappy Tories were destined to he disappointed ; they reckoned without their host, and the result of the various inquiries before selected tribunals, left them, if anything, in a still worse condition. In the mean time the disturbed state of the Canadas had given them a glimpse of hope that the Government might be embarrassed ; but with grief they saw Ministers ex tricate themselves from this difficulty with address and determination. The revolt was at once put down, and effectual means were adopted for removing admit ted grievances and securing an improved system of colonial administration. What then was to be done ? What could be done ? The unfortunate Tories were willing to avail themselves of any expedient, but none presented itself. Long speculative debates were got up which terminted in no practical result ; but still served to postpone the really important busi ness of the Session. This was something, be cause it could then be asserted that Ministers had delayed their measures until so late a period that it was impossible to give them due consideration. So far so good : there was no advantage, however insig nificant, of which the Tories were not eager to avail themselves. All was gain to them, and in the mean favour. the boards , Their a time there was no their knowing what might not turn up in gamestill nd a was a s al desperate,eveil tevents, if hbtute i t was upon worst came . t T o h t e h y e hoped that Heaven some miracle would show, A t t ln i d e for their ht h sakes the me sun d ‘ t owould be backward only h rd chance, but the sun obstinately refused to a l ter its course, and as • the Whig Government would not a lte r its course and give way to the Tories, they hit upon the stratagem of sending two notorious turn-coats into the great manu facturing districts, in order, if possible, to produce something that would look like a reaction in public opinion. The issue of this remarkable experiment is well known. The twin worthies went their round, re- to the reader, when, in truth, be peruses the article only for the hope of obtaining a general notion of them by that very perusal. The picture which is given of Stilling i 3 an interesting one, his character having throughout his life been marked with the grave simplicity which belonged to it in childhood, and of which the following little extract is a fair specimen : " Henry was about eight years old. He sat in a chair and read a book, looking, as was his fashion, very serious ; arid I believe in honesty that up to that time of he had never yet indulged in anything worthy the name of a laugh. Stabler looked him in the face and said, Henry, what ai e you doing there so seriously?' lam reading. H ave you learned to read so young ?' Henry looked him in the face, expressed surprise, and said, That is surd:, a fool ish question ; am I not a man ?' and straightway he began to road aloud with great fluency, giving at the same time the proper emphasis and expression to every word. Stah!er was astonished. May the devil take me (said he) if I ever saw the like of that !' When Henry heard this oath he sprang - suddenly up, trembled, and looked fear fully round. When, however, he saw that the Devil did not make his appearance, he said, God, how gracious art thou !' Turning then round to Stabler, he said, Man, bast thou seen Satan ?'—‘ No !' replied Stabler. Then never call on him again,' said Henry, and went into another room." There is an article on the " Menioirsof Queen Hor tense," an amusing sample of that historical gossip which idle people love to read, in the self-complacent persuasion that they are " studying." But those por• tions of th e p res e n t Number which we think are likely to excite the greatest attention are three articles upon the novels of the Italians, the naval romances of the • French, and (most unlooked-for of all) the poetical and dramatic works of the Dutch. The genius of Walter Scott, impregnating the liturature of his age, gave an historical, or at least a legendary, character to the productions of fiction, and to the taste for it, throughout a great part of the civilized world. Histo rical novels appears to have become especially popular in Italy. One of the most successful of these is the " Duca d'Atene," of Tommaseo ; written, if not ex actly upon the model, yet probably upon the impulse, of " Quentin Durward." The outbreak of the Flo- rentine insurrection in July, 1313, against the Comte de Brienne, the titular Duca d'Atene, who had con trived to invest himself with a kind of perpetual dicta torship of Florence, and whose minions had abused his power by all the profligacies inciden t to arbitrary rule, is sketched by Tommaseo in a spirited manner, of which the Reviewer gives a full extract. We select the following passages of the narrative : " About sunrise a tumult arose in Porta San Piero ; an apprentice first commenced screaming from his shop-door to a neighbouring apprentice,' We are now not Florentines, but Frenchmen, I tell you, having a French ruler ; he who calls himself a Florentine is a traitor." Who denies it ?' cried the other, with the full strength of his lungs. We are Frenchmen ; I well know that !" Thou'rt flouting me, and dost not speak as thou truly thinkest,' replied the first ; ' and thou liest in thy throat.' And I tell thee that Florence is no Florence now, and that thou'rt a scoundrel—the very refuse of Porta San Piero.' From all sides the people flocked to the scene of strife. Lower down in Niercato VecchiO two blackguards got up another quarrel. Thou grumblest,' said the one, because wine is dear ; and I tell thee, the dearer wine is, the better it relishes, and cheers without getting into the head, and leaves us free to think of the mercies of our Lord the Duke.' To which the second replied, Who denies the Duke's mer cies ! Villain, would'st set me at loggerheads with Giulio d'Assisi (The bargello, or head of the police). I'll have a bout with thee first.' And grappling each other, they rolled together in the kennel. The noise attracted a crowd. When, hark ! a cry of To arms !' burst from one of the nearest houses. Some shops are already closed, and the owners hurrying along, shouting, To arms I' Other tradesmen are precipitately shutting up theirs ; arti ficers and labourers run each to his own ward, whilst a few companies, some mounted, others on foot, impetuously scour through the town. Men in the streets call forth their comrades who had remained at home. Cries hurtle in the air like arrows in battle. Banners with the arms of the people, a cress gules on a field argent, some with, some without, the reged portcullis, waved from the mansions of the noble and the citizen, and even from the meanest hovels. The red lily, too, was there ; whilst the Duke's banners were thrown down and dragged by a rabble of boys through the filth and blood from the slaughter-house, with cries of Death to the Duke and his minions." Long live the people and Commonwealth of Florence.' One thou;ht, that of mutual assistance, filled every mind. From the windows the women loudly reiterating the cries of Death !' and Long life!' threw one a 'flag, another a spear, to husb.ind or to father. Otheri knelt to pray, but inter rupted their devotions to chorus from their windows the cry of Death! death !' The streets were instan taneously thronged with people, active as ants expecting rain. The Duke's soliicrs armed hastily at the sound of the tumult, and hurried to their posts. The best marks mea thronged the windows of the palace, the horsemen the piazza below. But many were made prisoners on their way thither ; one was intoxicated ; the right foot of an other was grappled by a boy, whilst the left was already in the s'irrup ; others were set upon unawares, bound, and and stripped of their splendid armour. One Burgundian giant, his shield covered with a tiger's skin, brandishing his huge spear, and uttering terrific threats, routed all before liim ; but a tanner, armed with a scythe, came behind, and aiming at the joint of the armour between the head and the neck, cut right through. The body fell to the left., the spear to the right, and the head, in its helmet, spun amongst the horses' feet. Two fair twin youths, reared under the joyous sun of Provence, covered with gold , pointed and beautifully-carved shields, and mounted on white mares, were galloping with unclosed visor:, when two arrows struck them, and they fell dead at the same in stant. The womea set up a cry of pry ; but two of the populace, catching the flying mares, exclaimed, Thanks to the good Duke for the gift ! Oil ! the Florentine people for ever!' " The French naval romances, of which the Reviewer treats at some length, are all by Eugene Sue, an autho r who steers in the wake of the American no velist Mr, Cooper. The adventures of 13tnoit, a slave-trading Captain, are sketched with great power, and extracted; very fully in the Review, but we can spare space for only a part of them. After a violent storm, in which he describes, but escapes from, a sus picious sail, Benoit reaches the Fish River on the western coast of Africa, where Van flop, a Dutch jobber in slaves, introduces him to a King of the Great Namaquois, who has prisoners of war to dis pose of. " King Taroo, seated majestically upon a table, with his legs crossed like a tailor, was smoking a huge rape. Ile was an ill-looking negro of about 40, arrayed in full state ; p7oudly surmounted by an old three-cornered cocked hat with narrow copper lacing, and bearing, by way of all garment, a large cane with a silver heal, and a rag of red cloth which scarcely sulEced for propriety." During the negotiation the African continued to scour his intellects with ruin ; and by the time the sale was concluded tumbled down dead drunk. " It is unnecessary to say, that the negroes allowed themselves to be led, hoisted, chained on board, in stupid insensibility. Not: imagining any other object for their pur chaser than that they were to be eaten, they exerted their utmost courage to remain passive. Before weighing anchor M. Benoit had a fair distribution made of salt fish, biscuit, and water, with a little rum. But they would scarcely touch it, far the blacks, it is well known, remain generally the first five or six days of the voyage almost entirely with out eating, and it is then that mortality is greatest among them." Benoit had not got far to sea with his cargo, when he was brought to by a cannon-shot from a vessel, which hailed him, through her trumpet, with " Brig, a-boy I send a boat with the Captain on board." No answer being returned by Benoit, who was in an un comfortable state of hesitation, the stranger, through the trumpet, repeated in the same style, " Brig, a-Foy, send a boat with the Captain on hoard." And a match was seen burning on the stranger's gangway. Benoit now began to pour forth questions and answers of his own, thus Schooner, ahoy! where are you bound from ?'— What do you want with the Captain ? why don't you hoist your flag ? what countryman are you ?'—' I am French ; I am from Nantes, for Jamaica ; - I have not fallen in with anytbing.' The schooner's speaking trumps t, the huge mouth of which was pointed to them the whole time, bore with this volley of questions ; and after a mo ment's silence, repeated, in the same style, the same words, • Brig, ahoy ! send a boat on board with the Captain,' and the explosion of a cannon, which injured no one, concluded the speech by way of peroration. The dog! is he bam boozling?' said Benoit ; Caiot, let dawn the yawl, and four men in her.'—' Look out, Captain,' said Caiot, ' she has to me the look of a pirate.'—' Why the d— should he touch me ;he wants water, perhaps, or stores. Who ever heard of a pirate touching a slaver Perhaps—the boat is ready, Captain,' and the unfortunate Benoit got into it half dressed, without arms, or a hat, just as the accursed speaking trumpet repeated once more in the same style the same words, Brig, ahoy! send a boat with the Captain aboard.' " _ . Benoit, as he comes on board, is a little re-assured by the boatswain's whistle, -a -nautical civility to per sonages of dit,tinction. But he receives no fa'rourable iinpression from his first glance at the crew, a less prepossessing party than even those of Benoit himself, who, ‘• though engaged in a trade not lauded by everybody, yet carried it on, as he declared, for the support of the colonies." The deck had a still more sinister aspect. " Everything was confused and thrown together ; arms scatteredhere and there, that they night be always at hand. The planks moist and dirty, covered in sonic pk..ces with large spots of a Idackih red. You have taken loll; enough for heaving to, old curmudgeon,' was the salutation addressed to him by a man with a very forbiddir , g aspect and but one eye. This winning character was but half clad, in ragged trowsers, an old red woollen shirt, filthy with grease, and tied round his waist with a rope, under which was thrust the huge blade of a knife with a wooden handle. Benoit rallied his dignity, his courage, and replied calmly, lon have zixteen guns, and I have not one ; it is easy work to be overhauling us at this rate.' More Nas.m, my old puffer ; good sense is always on the side of the guns.' But you have hailed me,' said Benoit impatiently, what do you want? I am losing the wind ;dhow much more yain are you going to spin ?" After a little more conversation, in which Benoit is knocked down for too free a style of answering, "'A huge hideous curly-head now appear.d above hatches, calling out " Le Borgne, Le Borgne, Captain wants to know what's all this jaw on deck?' It's this here old alligator that owns the brio ; he is being kept quiet.' Down went the great head ; up it came again, Here,' said the cabin-boy, here, Le Borgne, Captain says that 'ere gentleman is to come below." Cut him in two if he an't quiet,' cried a voice of thunder. Benoit buttoned his coat, passed his hands through his grey hair, coughed twice, blew his nose, and entered the cabin, where he found M. Brulart, the com mander of the Ilycena, equipped in a half-worn-out blue shirt, tied round the waist with a rope's end. The conversation was opened by Benoit with an air of dignity— ' I want to know what for'—but Brulart's voice inter rupted him with, What for yourself, dog! don't ask me questions. Where are you bound from ?" I'm from the African coast ; I have made a purchase, got my cargo on board, and am going to Jamaica (qu. Cuba ?) to sell my blacks." I know that better than you ; I only asked to see if you'd tell me a lie.' You knew it ?" I have been after you from Goree.' It was you, then, that I saw be fore the storm, in the fog ?" A glimps2 ; hold there, shipmate, your servant,' said Brulart, pulling a lock of his thick hair as if it had been a corner of a cocked hat ; Ay, ay, we make a treaty, and so will I. I'm quite delighted.' I was sure we should understand each other,' answered Benoit, a little reassured by this parity of situations. But tell me where did you get your blacks, for the hurricane parted us, and I have only found you again this evening? On the coast ; mouth of the Fish River ; they were sold me by a chief of the kraal of the Great Namaquois ; it is a party of Little Namaquois taken in war." Indeed ! I get my blacks in another way.' But now, you see, lam losing time ; all I can do for you is to give you six casks of water and two barrels of biscuit ; and considering I have twenty in crew and eighty blacks on board, it is a great deal. I am giving my blood for you." That's the word,' observed Brulart, with a peculiar smile. I can't spare a particle more,' said Benoit with an air of decision. I swear, never theless, that you shall do more for :me, you Mister of the Grand Namaquois." Will you betray me?' said Benoit, pale as death. I betray you!' Offended by the laugh that followed, the choleric Benoit. assaults the corsair. But Brulart seizing his two arms in his iron fist, while with the other hand he untied the cord round his waist, Benoit was in a few moments bound neck and heels, so that he could not stir ; Brulart placed him across his great sea-chest, saying, ' By-and-bye we'll have a laugh to gether, shipmate.' And he mounted the deck amidst all the imprecations, abuse, insult, and outcries of the unhappy Benoit, who moved by leaps upon the chest, just as a fish on a sand-bank. " The conference is shortly resumed, on the return of Brulart to his prisoner in the cabin. But now, let us play at some game—at guessing ; come, guess, guess ; come now, guess what I am going to do with you and your crew.' Rascal, is it not infamy ? To rob us, villain ?' No, go on—try again: To make us prisoners, monster?" No, try again." Well then, to murder us ; you are capable of any thing." You burn, but that is not it exactly." Ten thousand thunders ! to be here tied up, unable to move, like an anchor lashed to the bow.' You give up guessing —well, listen.' He tossed off a large glass of rum, and Benoit began to gabble, bawl, sing, and swear, to drown the voice of M. Bralart, and avoid hearing his atrocious jests. Two or three of the sailors, alarmed by this infornA uproar, ran to the cabin-door, thinking some body was cuttin g his throat. on deck again, rascals,' said Brulart ; 'don't you see it is only the gentleman amusing himself by singing Namaquois airs ? Ah, wretch of a musician.' Poor Benoit continued his cries in every variety of tone, but he was speedily gagged, his eyes be came blood-shot, and seemed starting from his head." At length he was apprised of his fate, and it was mercilessly fulfilled. The pirate took him with his crew to the Little Namaquois to be slaughtered by these cannibals, in revenge for the prisoners of their tribe bought by Benoit from King Taroo, not without lucre to the pirate, who, in exchange for the white men thus surrendered to the knife, received from the little Namaquois an equal number of blacks, to he sold by him for the profit of the Hyena. So much for the slave-traders. We have left no room for the literature of our Dutch neighbours. Where the Parnassus is a flat, and the Helicon a dike, the reader will hardly look for a very lofty inspiration, but it is something " not to have despaired of the republic." However, between the tragic and the comic muses of Holland we feel somewhat less of hesitation than Garrick ex hibits in the picture. Our preference is clearly for the ludicrous, of which a tolerable specimen is given to the English public in the extracts selected by time Reviewer from " The Village beyond the Frontiers," a dramatic satire by Van Lennep on the Belgians. The piece has attained a great popularity from this political bearing, but we fear it must be admitted at last, that but for some such seasoning the wit would scarce have savoured the mass.—Times. _ - PADDLE BOARDS.—It appears, from the Report of the Commission of Railways in Ireland, that great m , stakes have been made in the size of the paddle boards. Their area has been suc cessively reduce.l from about 12 feet area to 8 feet, and the speed of the vessel has been as successively increase I. But what is still inure re markable, the tremulous motion was re.lucel at the s.it2 time. The maximum effect was somahing above 6 feet.—Bail way Magazine. BILLIARDS.—TiIe Paris Jockey Club, it seems, has lately invented a singular amusement. Two amateurs made a bet that they would play a game at billiards on horseback ! The grand dlr. ficulty, however, appeared to be that of getting the horse up s'airs to the billiard room. A recent attempt had quite failed to make the horses walk up the staircase of the Theatre Francais, in order to draw the car of Caligula on the stage. The horses of the Jock( y Club were, how. ever, lighter and better trained, and they succeeded accordingly. In the ante-room they had worsted stockings put en, to deaden the noise of their iron shoes. The players then mounted, cue in hand, and the game commenced The time allotted was four hours, and the game (12 points) was won at 20 minutes within the limited period, the loser marking 10 points. Considering the numerous diflkulties, this was co: tain:y a great effort of skill. The horses jumped. danced, jibbed, and took every advantage of their riders having both hands engaged while trying to strike the b.:11. ADVANTAGE OF A GOOD CIIARACTER.-A young man, named Holder,was yesterday charged at Guildhall with having defrauded Mr. Surredge, a shoe agent in Newgate street, of property to the amount of SOI, by representing himself as still in the employment of a bootmaker named Reeve, with whom he had at one time lived. The only novelt} in the case was that Mr. Reeve had been paying his monthly bills, in which the property obtained by the prisoner was charged to his account, without detecting the fraud, although in one instance the sum was 231. out of 461. In exp'anation of this seeming carelessness, Mr. Reeve said he had so strong a penua6lon of Holder's integrity that he merely looked at the sum total of the hills. The pri soner, whose delinquencies were discovered through mere accident, was remanded. INCREASING PROSPERITY OF PARIS.—In a speech, which the Paris journals of Wednesday publish, the Prefect of the Seine gives a flattering account of the progress and prosperity of tl • French capital. He addressed it to the notables of the city assembled for the purpose of electing the judges of the Tribunal of Commerce for the ensuing year. All p.mple with shops, or in business, pay a certain tax or patent. The number of patent.payers in Paris in 1831 was nearly 45,000; it had increased to 70,000 in '1836, and to 75,000 in 1837. The highest notables or patent-payers had increased in the same propor tion. The ()arm', in consequence, having proportionaidy increased, had allowed the diminution of certain duties, especially that on coals. Schools and asylums for children had been founded in great numbers; and Paris in 1837, compared with Paris in 1830, leaves certainly no occasion of regret for the revolution of 1830. A letter from Pestlt states, that though the late thunder storms and heavy rains have occasioned not a little damage in Hungary, yet the harvest promises to be so abundant that grain of every kind has fallen considerably in price. On the 21st of June the Right Hon. Lord John Russell presented to her Majesty a splendidly bound copy of the Scrip tures, in eight or nine languages, from a number of ladies among the Protestant Dissenters of London, as a token of their deep interest in the happiness and devoted attachment to the person and government of their beloved Sovereign. The book, which was prepared expressly for the purpose, in a truly elegant and most costly manner, her Majesty was most graciously pleased to accept, expressing to his Lotedhip her sense of its high value. During the late hurricanes in the Black Sea the following Russian ships of war were completely wrecked :—A frigate of 65 guns, a sloop, two brigs, two cutters, the armed steam-boat Jason, and five armed transport vessels. During the same gale thirteen merchant vessels were lost; but it does not appear that there were any British vessels among them. A fellow named Birmingham was yesterday charged at Worship.street with being one of the principals in a prizefight that took place at Tottenham on Sunday last, but was interrupted by the police. He was held to bail ; and fifteen others, who were charged as aiding and abetting, were fined Is. each, and discharged. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF COMMONS. AUGUST 1. The House sat at Four o'Clock. Several petitions were presented on various subjects. Lord W. BENTINCK presented petitions from Cal cutta, Madras, and Ceylon, praying for a direct communi cation by steam from the Red Sea to the several Presiden cies of India and Ceylon, and begged to ask the Right lion. President or the Board of Controul what steps were likely to he taken to comply with that prayer? S:r J. HO B HOUSE said the Court of Directors were not inactive, They had fitted out some fine steamers, and were employed in building others, for the purpose alluded to. Ile could not then say what precise stops would be taken, but in a short time he should be able so to do. It was his opinion that direct communication should be esta blished with all the Presidencies. Sir F. TRENCH gave notice that to-morrow, in going into Committee on Ways and Means, he should move for the Select Committee to inquire into those cases in which the Irish Government have offered rewards, and afterward s withheld them, of which motion be was deprived the pre vious evening by the counting out of the House. Sir C. GREY begged to ask the President of the Board of Controls], whether the new Penal Code recommended by the Law Commissioners had been in any manner a dopted by the Governor-General of India in Council ? Sir J. HOBHOUSE said that had not been adopted, but had been ordered to be circulated by the Governor- General of India among the functionaries of the Presi dencies for the purpose of collecting their opinions. Sir F. FRENCH moved for returns exhibiting the es' pense of experiments for imdroving the ventilation a nd lighting of the House. Agreed to. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ob tained leave to bring in a Bill to continue for one year, and to amend the Act 1 Victoria, c. 59 (Bank of Ireland). To be read a second time this day. The Lords' amendments to the Sheriff's Court (Scotland) Bill were considered and agreed to. The Committee of Ways and Means was postponed to Friday. The Militia Ballot Suspension Bill went through Com mittee, after a few words from Mr. HUME. The Slave Trade (Sicily and Tuscany) Bills were seve rally committed, and ordered to be read a third time this day. The Prisons (West Indies) Bill was read a third time and passed. The Private Bill Deposits Bill went through Committee. The Transfer of Funds (War Office) Bill, end the Joint Stock Bank Bills Reports were brought up and agreed to. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that on Friday he should move for a Committee of the whole House to consider the Acts respecting Publio Works ; also that he should ask for leave to bring in 3 Bill to repeal the Four-and-a-Half per Cent. duties. Sir C. GREY, having withdrawn till next Session the motion of which he had given notice relating to the re ports of the Indian Law Commissioners, &c., the Hou se adjourned. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. FOSSIL REMAINS. The f Vowing is a cody of a Memorial presented to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, recommending the pur• chase, by the Trustees of the British Museum, o f the two collections of Fossil Remains belonging to Mr. Mar sell and Mr. Hawkins, as ordered by the House of Cour mons on the 6th ult. To the Right llon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The memorial of your petitioners humbly showeth, That your petitioners have heard with great concern that a recent offer for sale to the British Museum, by M r ' Mansell and Mr. Hawkins, of two valuable collection s, illustrating the geology of an important portion of England, has been declined in consequence of the deficiency of t he revenue for the present year. That many of your petitioners who are conversant with the subject have examined these collections, and conside r them not only to be of peculiar value as demonstrating tb e i subterraneous structure of this country, but also of gen era interest to the scientific world, as throwing new and im port ant lights on many branches of researc that are n od' conducted with unexampled activity in all countries, the the purpose of illustrating the physical history of t globe, and applying such knowledge also to the useful pa' poses of life. That with a view to the advancement of such objects, s °' cieties and museums have been established in nearly a ll the large provincial towns of this kingdom, and still more or, tensive museums provided at the national expense by a' the Governments of the civilised world. And as your P e ; titioners would consider it to be conducive to the honour au' scientific reputation of England if these collections w ere placed in the British Museum, so it would I.e, i n their opinion, both detrimental to science and i n j ur ious to the honour of the nation if they were allowed to be broken uP and dispersed by public sale, or purchased by any for ei g u Government. That the getting together of these collections has resulted from a concurrence of such ral e op:ortunities and extra' ordinary qualifications in the indiv:duals by whom th e li have been made, th a t if th e occas i on w hi c h now offers securing to th e na ti on t h e f ru i ts o f suc h rare co incidenc eo be not made use of it must be lost for ev(r. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c. (Signed) Wm. BUCKLAND, Profe;sor of Geology, Oxon. A. SEDGWICK, Woodward:an Professor, Cambridge. JOHN PHILLIPS, Professor of Geology, in King's C'' lege, London. W. WHEWELL, Pres. G.S. ROD. MURCHISON, Vice President Geological Society. CHARLES LYELL, Vice President Geological Society. CHARLES STOKES, F.R.S., F.G.S., and L.S. WILLIAM J. HAMILTON, Sec. Geological Society• EDWARD NORWICH, P res id en t o f th e Li nn. S oc . F. of RICHARD OWEN, Hunterian Professor Royal Colleg e Surgeons, London. WILLIAM CLIFT, Conservator of the Museum, ditto. CHARLES BARRAGE. J. BosTocK, 1\1.D., F.R.S., and F.G.S. P. M. RooKT, M.D., F.G.S. JOHN TAYLOR, F.R.S., c F.L.S., F.G.S., 'Treasurer to ti ll British Association. NORTHAINIFFON, F.G.S. CITAAILEs DARWIN, Sec. of Geological Society. W. 'l'. BRODERIP, PALS., F.G.S., F.L.S.. &c. 110 C PATENT TIIEATRE MACHINERY.—We o f two often experienced the annoyance resu!ting from the present atlapt3".ence theatrical machinery, and yet it never struck us that the inconveol_ool was capable of a remedy. Very frequently when in a most sentiro".4 A —we had almost said tear-like mood, during the representat ioll good tragedy, have we involuntarily burst into a fit of laughter n i , v e nessiog the vain endeavours of some unfortunate scene.sh , fter to ' e a 3 us from our distress by a fresh glimpse of sunshine, and the stets jolt, distant lake among the hips. Well, what we never dreamt Was of the compass of posQihilty, Mr. Macdonald Stephenson, a llero be ct iott the Institution of Civil Engineers, has acce.mplished, by the colos tr° ,olD of theatrical machinery capable of being shitted without nois e, au" tie less than ono-third of the manual labour at present employed. 1° t ea original outlay the saving is about 71 per cent in favour of the io l P ro t iO machinery; so that all managers and lessees have a direct inte: e .. s coC consulting for the convenience of the public But will inapro "c,'"o3, stop here ? We cannot for a moment think so. The shifting c i lou lti chinery to be perfect should be as quick as lightning ; and why any improvement once begun stop short of perfection ? ig HINTS TO TIIE CHA RITABLE.—The 0 .0 t -' of , the title of a most meritorious litt'e volume, published by a nd w tio Boone, addressed by the Hon. and Rev. S. G. Osborne to those rt 0 1 take an ac tive interest in village economy; being intended as a 0- manual of rules for the. proper regulation of private charity. It 0 sists of a series of familiar letters on the Coal Fund — the Wif e's 50 Cot —the Penny Club—the Loan Fund—and the Children's Endosv°l-rit, Society; all conceived in a truly Christian and philanthropi c 5 4 . 1 : 0 1i , There is no virtue the exercise of which is so beautiful.—se truly nine—as chanty. ) 13 " According to a rec e nt t our i s t, o f th e w h o le 1 ar tit tion of Limerick one third, at l eas t , li ve d ur i ng some par t of the Y e Legging of the residue. --- --- ------/, s , PATENT LEVEL, 'W AT C 0 l '' t ) 0 With silver deubl e -b o tt om cases With silver hunting cases lel' This celebrated consttuction (the most accurate on vil'epts, watch can be made) is offered, with the latest impr ° " n ,fo d ' i. e. the detached escapement, jewelled in four holes, °Lot hand to mark the seconds, hard enamel dial, and maintaining r to continue going while winding up, at the above price, by T. COX SAVORY'S, Working Silver and Goldsmith, 47, Cornhill, London, (Seven doors from Gracechurch-street.) N.B.—Second-hand Watches purchased in excha ng e BIRTHS. srj On the 2bth ult., in Waurn-square, the 'wife of E avi Lloyd, Esq., of a son. Ate r ' On the 31st ult., Mrs. S. H. Pulley, of liornsey, of a c1au , 0 04(.• On the 30th ult., at Streatham, the lady of Richard Rav e " of a daughter. MARRIED. O' At Ilfracombe, Devon, on the 30th u't., Richard Uniac k tW Ist. Esq., Captain in the 81 s t R eg i ment, to Ju di t h , d au ghter f Thomas Benson, Esq., of Cockermouth, Cumberland. DIED. , r i Ell In the West Indies, in the 27th ear of his age, Jolin . "`", - ,' 3' of late of St. Petersburgh. He, in y company with Ott e*, ', t or the sloop " Careb," met with his untimely end iv the tr. '" et aths vessel off the Island of St. Croix. His amiable qualttlei.,., 1 bined wit% str:ctly how u -able ar.d upright conduct, renders I , l' ir ' e s e irreparable to hi. 4 :o..nily, and deeply regretted by all who '''' i fa quatrited with him. e q 1' I lOn the 27th ul'. at To id-head Lyndhurst, Harriet I leu7 of G. Sturge m, Esti , of Siuflam)inn-buildings. Ort the Zils*: rlt , a No. .% o,d,'Mr. W. Gr;raley, " - * --?... tin's lane, aged 3.5: or , London : Printed and Published by M U ItllUY t)UIN (- I, e co ot" 112, Strand, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in th of Middlesex.—Thursday, August 31, 1838. I